Mariam Naficy

She’s Building the World’s First AI Marketplace, One Ring and Rug at a Time

Ever wanted to design your own jewelry? Now you can, thanks to Arcade. Just submit a photo or type in a description of your desired item — think “vintage emerald cluster earrings” — and Arcade uses AI to design your piece and source a manufacturer. The startup, which was launched last year but has already raised $17 million, was co-founded by Mariam Naficy, who knows a little something about scaling companies. In 2000, she sold her first startup, the online cosmetics company Eve.com, for $110 million. In 2007, she launched independent artist marketplace Minted (best known for its elegant stationery), which was last valued at $733 million. Now, she envisions Arcade as the world’s first AI marketplace, where people can create goods of all kinds (although it’s just offering jewelry, rugs, pillow, and ceramics for now). And Naficy is building more than a marketplace: One day, she believes celebrities and influencers will use the technology to create lines of merch and major corporations will license the company’s technology to help their customers create one-of-a-kind items.

By Audrey Goodson Kingo